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Friday, January 7, 2011

Happy new year to everyone. I'm kicking off 2011's first News & Notes with a proverbial bang, in what may well be my longest post to date.

On Tuesday, I wrote that legendary Chinatown chef Joe Poon is preparing gluten-free General Tso's Chicken as part of his Chinese New Year dinner menu, available now through the end of March.

Keith Taylor, late of Roxborough's since-closed Holy Smoke, plans to open a gluten-free-friendly dine-in/take-out offshoot of his Zachary's BBQ catering business next month. The restaurant will be located at 1709 Markley Street in Norristown (formerly the site of Boston Barbeque) and he'll offer many of the same meats currently available for catering. Chef Taylor underwent training with the NFCA's gluten-free food-service program.

Fuel, which serves light, healthful fare in Center City (1225 Walnut Street, 215-922-3835) and South Philly (1917 East Passyunk Avenue, 215-468-3835) can prepare gluten-free panini made with corn/flaxseed bread. I'm told that the kitchens take precautions to avoid mixing with wheat.

Reader Manisha A. was kind enough to let me know that Half Moon Restaurant and Saloon in Kennett Square (180 West State Street, 610-444-7232), which is known for its wild-game meats, serves burgers and sandwiches on gluten-free bread. The restaurant's gluten-free menu also lists beer and dessert, among other items.

Belzano Ristorante, located in West Windsor - call it Princeton - at the Shops at Windsor Greens (3495 Brunswick Pike/U.S. Route 1, 609-720-900), offers eight different pizza styles, panini, penne, appetizers and other entrees on its gluten-free menu. Separate pans and utensils are used for the gluten-free items. You can print out the take-out/delivery menu for coupons.

Tonight, I will be rooting on my Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, who are playing for the NCAA Division I Football Championship against Eastern Washington. On the UD campus in Newark, you can now get gluten-free pizza at the Main Street Seasons Pizza. In fact, all of the Seasons Pizza shops in Delaware, Pennsylvania (Malvern and Aston) and New Jersey (Cherry Hill and Stratford) now serve the pizza. Register to get 10 percent off your first online order. The full list of locations is posted on the company's website.

Musical chairs in Collingswood: Blackbird is set to move from 619 Collings Avenue to 714 Haddon Avenue by mid-February (sharing an address with West Side Gravy), while on March 1 IndeBlue will relocate across the street to take over Blackbird's current location.

Whole Foods, which previously abandoned plans to open a market in northern Delaware, is in development to set up shop in nearby Concordville. The location will be at the Glen Eagle Square shopping center, site of a former Genuardi's store, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

Exclusive to Whole Foods are Late July's new organic multigrain snack chips. The chips come in three flavors - Sea Salt by the Seashore, Mild Green Mojo and Dude Ranch - and are certified gluten free. (The Dude Ranch variety won the Best New Product award in the food category at the Natural Products Expo East 2010.) The chips will be coming to other outlets soon.

Funny that from time to time I still see the original Doritos logo plastered to the sides of Frito-Lay delivery trucks. The company has now tapped into the "throwback" craze by not only reprising that emblem, but also its most popular, most requested flavor, Doritos Taco. (The product label lists no gluten ingredients.) The limited-edition bags will only be available through the Super Bowl in early February, but plans are for the company to keep this variety around. Not all stores will carry the product; check the Frito-Lay website's "Where to Buy" feature to locate one near you.

Amy's Kitchen has introduced several new gluten-free products. The Sonoma Burger is a combination of organic quinoa, walnuts, mushrooms, veggies and spices. The burger, which is gluten, dairy and soy free, will be available in stores beginning this month. The 240-calorie Light & Lean Black Bean and Cheese Enchilada contains organic black beans, tofu, brown rice, vegetables and cheese in an organic corn tortilla with a blend of tomatillo and ranchero sauces. Also part of the Light & Lean line is the 220-calorie Light & Lean Soft Taco Fiesta, a soft corn tortilla between a layer of brown rice, shredded vegetables and sweet corn and a layer of black beans and cheese, covered with a blend of our tomatillo and ranchero sauces.

This month's Amazon Grocery sale items are posted, and there are a few gluten-free products listed. Add an additional 15 percent savings when combining the instant rebates with a Subscribe & Save order.

On Wednesday, January 12, the Celiac Center at Paoli Hospital will host "All About Celiac," a special presentation and interactive question-and-answer session with Peter H.R. Green, M.D., director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University. The one-hour event will be take place at 2 p.m. at the hospital's Potter Room (Zone B, Level 1), located at 255 West Lancaster Avenue in Paoli. Seating is limited, so you must register for live attendance. Registration for the online webinar also is available.

The Children's Celiac Support Group is sponsoring a "Supper Bowl" party on Sunday, January 23 at the Bucks Specialty Care Center in Chalfont (500 West Butler Avenue). Running time is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. RSVP at 267-426-6822 or by e-mail.

I mentioned in the last News & Notes that we savored the Orange Bundt Cake prepared from a recipe in a new dessert cookbook, The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free. Since then, my wife made the Toasted Coconut Pound Cake, Orange Cheesecake Squares, Chocolate Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and the insanely delicious Honey Bun Cake. (For the record, we shared most of these with friends over the holidays!) The book can be ordered from Amazon for under $10. On December 21, author Anne Byrn appeared on ABC's Good Morning America to showcase a couple desserts from the book, and you can view the segment below. Have a great weekend!

4 comments:

Happy 2011, Mike! What an awesome post to start the new year -- full of so many great tips. I can't wait to head to Martindale's to pick up the soft pretzel bites that I have been dreaming about since A4A. Thanks again for always providing the GF community with so much helpful information.